Welcome back
by Southpaw
Summary: House and Wilson deal with Wilson's return to PPTH after the road trip to the funeral.


Hello, and welcome to my first House fic! Those of you who know me well probably knew this was bound to happen eventually /grins/. This story is a continuation of the end of the episode "Birthmarks".

I don't own any of the characters or locations, just my own little "what-ifs".

~*~

House sat at his desk looking up at where Wilson stood facing him. The only light in the room was coming from the lamps on his desk and by his chair, and the fluorescent bulbs in the hallway. His friend had just told him he was coming back to work at Princeton-Plainsboro. "You hungry," he asked in a manner somewhat unlike his typical self. He got a simple nod in return, so he collected his cane and jacket, and they moved towards the door.

"Wilson," he said as they reached the glass wall separating his office from the rest of the hospital.

"Yeah?"

"My dad's dead."

"Yeah… My sympathies." Wilson pushed the door open, letting House through first. It quietly swung shut as they made their way to the bank of elevators. They enjoyed a peaceful silence through the hospital lobby, out to Wilson's car, and on the short drive to a nearby diner.

They slid across the seats of a booth, and the server took their orders – a reuben for House and a burger for Wilson. House looked quizzically at his friend about his food selection, but let it go when the other man ignored it and wisely asked for a basket of fries for them to share.

They studied each other for a few minutes, both trying to make it seem like they weren't. House watched a pair of girls who were sharing gossip at the counter. Wilson stared at his hands, and then started rearranging the stuff on the table for when their food would arrive.

"It was weird," House said abruptly, still not meeting his friend's eyes.

Wilson looked up from what he was doing. He had to make sure his ears weren't deceiving him. "What was weird?"

House turned his head back to face the table, but kept his eyes down. "You… not being around… it was weird."

Wilson paused for a moment, taking in the concept that he had in fact heard what he thought he did. He tilted his head a little, in a half-assed attempt to meet his friend's eyes. "Are you saying… you missed me?"

"There was a day I had lunch with O'Shea."

Wilson smirked, hearing the answer beneath the deflection. "How did that work out?"

House smirked in return. "He surprised me, right up until he refused to spend time together outside of work."

That garnered a modest chuckle. "To be honest, I didn't know what to do with myself."

"I guess that's why you Jews have that staged mourning period. What is it, a week and then a month, and then eleven months?"

"Yeah… and their friends are supposed to support and comfort them during that time."

House was about to make a witty reply, but the server returned with their food. Both he and Wilson took a few moments to start digging into their sandwiches. He started the conversation again after a few bites. "I heard you got your attention from Cameron and Cuddy."

Wilson tilted his head forward in a sort of half-nod. "They showed up at my place a few times." He wanted to add 'but girls are different,' but knew it would just give his friend more fodder to work with.

"When you left, you said it was because of me." House shrugged, not quite realizing he'd practically just read the other man's mind. "I was just complying with your wish not to see me." He watched, waiting for a reaction. When there was none, he grabbed a handful of fries from the basket and stuffed them into his mouth.

This time it was Wilson's turn to break the minute-long silence. "I meant what I said before, when I told you I had fun on that road trip."

"Wouldn't have been the same without you."

"I know. You wouldn't have considered going by yourself, just to go."

"Yup! That's why you made Cuddy give me something to knock me out."

"I didn't make her do it! I merely suggested it, and she agreed."

House thought Wilson was funny when he got flustered and defensive, so he didn't say anything and just let it continue.

Wilson sighed, unaware that he was denying his friend another bit of entertainment. "It was nice to see your mom again." He took a couple fries from the basket and bit into them politely, making sure he got any before House devoured them all.

"Yeah…" House paused before mumbling a modest "thank you."

Wilson's eyes widened and he stopped what he was doing. He looked across the table at his friend, who had chosen that moment to begin staring at his hands again. He replayed the conversation in his head, to make sure he'd heard correctly. When he determined that his ears still hadn't deceived him yet, he offered a quiet "you're welcome."

House nodded brusquely, understanding that this meant they truly were on good terms again. They finished their meals, and he picked up the check when they were leaving. That surprised Wilson too, but he didn't say anything for fear of ruining the moment.

Wilson drove back to the hospital so that House could retrieve his motorcycle. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Goodnight Wilson."

"Goodnight House."

~*~

A/N: So that's it… I don't know much medical stuff, so I was happy to take the opportunity to delve into some of the character-thread of the story. I wasn't thinking of any slash while writing it (trying to keep as close to canon as I could), but you're welcome to interpret it in any way you see fit.


End file.
